Shoe-finishing apparatus.



C. F STETSON, IR.

SHOE FINISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1914.

1,174,940. Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

THE C OLUMBIA PLANOURAPH $0., WASHINGTON, D. C-

, UNIT s'rrEs CHARLES F. STETSON, JR., OF ROCKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HURLEY SHOE (10., OF ROCKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OF MAS- SACHUSETTS.

I SHOE-FINISHING APPARATUS.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

Application filed February 2, 1914. Serial No. 815,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLns F. STn'rsoN, Jr, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Itcckland, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shoe-Finishing Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for finishing boots and shoescomprising a worksupport and a set of variously constructed finishingtools.

I-Ieretofore, so far as I am aware, the finishing-tools of a set, havebeen made as separate implements, being wholly independent one fromanother, and adapted to be separately heated by the user in holding theparticular tool to be used above a heating flame, or by resting thetools of the set on supports adjacent a flame, or by housing the toolsof the set in a heating casing from which they are separately withdrawnwhen required for use. This independent picking up and replacing of eachtool results in a serious loss of time, and furthermore, in practice,itis difficult to so heat the tools as to enable them to retainsubstantially an even temperature as long as is necessary for theparticular use to which the tool is put.

The present invention is designed primarily with a view to facilitateand expedite the handling of the tools, and to insure permanent and evenheating of the tools so that they may vbe used with full efficiency aslong as may be necessary; and to'this end, the invention broadlycomprehends a Worksupport, a stationary supporting-frame from which aset of tools are suspended by means of independent flexible hangers,each hanger being made long enough to enable the tool held by it to bebrought forward into operative position and manipulated, and thesupporting-frame being arranged to support the tools when in normalposition, free from contact with the work-table.

The invention also comprehends making the supporting-frame hollow tocarry the heating-means, and in case gas is employed as a heating mediumsaid frame will be composed of pipe-sections secured together, and thehangers will be made as flexible tubes, thereby to convey the gas tosuitable burners which are associated with the tools.

I further contemplate, as an essential object of the present invention,the provision of a simple heating-device for the direct application ofthe heat to the tool, which heating-device is designed with a view toavoid varying the form or size of the toolhandle, or interfering withthe free manipulation of the tool by means of such handle, or weakeningthe handle with respect to its tool-holding function. t

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for finishing boots andshoes, having a set of finishing tools, illustrating one embodiment ofmy invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the toolswith handle.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention I provide what I term asupportingframe which is composed of a pipe-section 2, terminallyprovided with a horizontal pipe-section 3, arranged at right anglesthereto and preferably extended in opposite directions therefrom. Thepipe-section E2 may be supported in any appropriate manner as from afixture (not shown) located at any distance from the pipe-section 3. Thesupporting-frame thus constructed is well adapted to serve as a gasconduit, and in such case the pipe-section 2 will be connected with anysuitable gas-pipe (not shown) leading from a main.

The ends of the pipe-section 3 are closed. Nipples 4 depend from saidsection 3, in spaced relation, and in open communication therewith, asmany nipples being used as necessary to accord with the number of toolsin the set. Valve-casings 5, which may be gas-cocks, are connected tothe ends of the nipples I, and the upper ends of flexible conduits 6,preferably gas hose, are connected to the valvecasings, and the toolsare connected to the lower ends of said conduits 6, and the length ofsaid flexible conduits depends upon the location of the tools withrespect to the work-support 20 for the boot or shoe, which latter is ofany well known or suitable construction.

The handle 7 of the tool is bored longitudinally at 8, opening at theupper end centrally of the handle and at the lower end through the sidethereof immediately above the ferrule 9, which latter encircles thelower end of the handle. A burner pipe 10, preferably of metal, ispassed longitudinally of said bore, its upper end-portion projectingabove the upper end of the handle, as at 11, and its lower end-portionprojecting through the lower end of the bore, and extendeddownwardly atthe side I therebyutilize a heating -device which'in 150 of the ferrule9, and bent inward toward the shank 12 of the tool, which latter issecured to the lower end of the handle in any usual or suitable manner.The lower endportion of the burner-pipe 10 is made tapering, as at 13,whereby its transverse area is reduced, thus to form a burner from whichthe flame is directed on to the shank-and tool to heat the same. 7

The upper projecting end-portion 11 of the burner-pipe 10 is utilized asa means for connecting the flexible conduit 6 with the handle ina'inanner to provide for the continuity of the fuel conduit. For thispurpose, the lower end of the conduit 6 is'passed over the projectingend-portion 11 and a suitable wrapping l l of flexible cord or wiresecured about the same. The supporting-frame including the pipesections2 and 8, and the pendent flexible conduits 6, provide a means fordelivering the fuel directly to the tools, so' that it is obvious thatif such fuel is ignited at the outlets of the burner-pipes 10, each toolwill be permanently heated at all times, and under all conditions ofuse, and the degree of heat may be regulated by turning the gascocks.Furthermore, and more important, it will be observed that the respectivetools of the set are at all times pendent from the supporting-frame bymeans of the flexible conduits 6, so that the workman may grasp anydesired tool, bring it forward into operative position and manipulateit, without separating it from the support, and then simply release itwhen he has finished, and without further attention on his part the toolwill swing into and thereby-resume its normal position. A veryconsiderable saving in the time of the workman is thus secured, withmuch added convenience, and the tool is more efficient than underprevious 0011(11:

tions, due to its being uniformly and per- I manently heated at alltimes. t y v The particular application of the heatingdevice to thehandle constitutes'an important feature of thepresentinvention, in thatCopies of this patent may be obtained for no wise varies the form orconstruction of;

the handle, and which does not in any way affect the normal strength ofthe'handle in so far as the cooperation of the tool-shank therewith isconcerned, and in which the heatlng-medium conveyer is located in suchposition as to avoid interference with the usual manipulation of thetool. 77

'I claim V r 1. A work support, a supporting frame arranged adjacent thework support, a plu rality of shoe-finishing tools for distinctcooperation with the particular work to be arranged on said support, anindependent; flexible connection between each tool and the supportingframe, means-for heating the tools, and a handle for and above eachtool, 7

said flexible connections normally support-f :ing the handles in spacedparallel relation and at all times above the plane of the top edge ofthe'neighboring tool when the tools are freely pendent, whereby duringthe swinging of a released tool when assuming normal position, the handof the operator naturally moves in a planeabove such released tool tograsp an adjacent tool. v

2. The finishing-tool herein described, including a tool proper,ashank,'a handle in which the shank is secured, said handle be;

ing formed with a longitudinal bore, its'u'p-T per end opening centrallythrough the up-T per end of the handle and its lower end opening throughthe side of the lower end of the handle, and a burner pipe'arrangedfixedlyin said bore and projecting beyond the centrally arranged end ofthebore, for; connection with a flexible conduit, said pipe extendingthrough the opposite'end of the j acent the shank of the tool.

bore and curved toward and terminating adi In testimony whereof, I havesigned" my I name to this. specification, "in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. V L

CHARLES r. STETSON, JR.

Witnesses:

V EDWARD W. BARRETT," I GILES W. HowLAND.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oflatentsp 7 Washington,D. C. V i

